Touhou: Confusing and Reckless Boundary Traversal
by Marcosias Isif
Summary: Waking up in a strange place is never a good feeling - this is what happens to Kushoko Sakai one evening after praying at an abandoned shrine. When she tries to find out where she's wound up, she discovers a world full of Youkai - demons and spirits that prey on humans. What's worse, there seems to be something even more sinister beneath the surface... Please leave a review!
1. Chapter 1

Touhou Project Fan-Fiction

Confusing and Reckless Boundary Traversal

「東方・混乱と無謀な境界縦貫」

Written by Marcosias Isif

For those who are aware of the Gensôkyô Timeline, this is the start of the story:

[Year of Star, Winter, and Fire

Season 131 (2016), January 1st, 1903 hours.

The Third Snowfall of Winter]

1

I had fallen. Like in that one commercial from around two or three decades ago. I couldn't feel my legs, and my back was sore, like I had just fell some distance. A puff of mist came out of my mouth.

 _Was it winter when I fell?_

For a moment, I lay staring at the sky, with snow lightly falling around me.

Something was… off. It felt different.

This sky seemed very odd compared to the sky I grew up with… I think.

I struggled to get up, spending no less than two whole minutes wriggling on the ground, before I finally sit up. My legs are still there, they're just numb; a strange kind of numb that I don't recognize.

 _Why did I fall...?_

I looked around. It seemed that I was no longer in my home town – rather, I was at a Japanese shrine. It seemed fairly abandoned, as if no one had visited in… ever. An offertory box sat alone in the doors of the shrine – and above it, a shimenawa hung fairly high. There were two stone lanterns near the shrine, but otherwise, the place seemed very humble. I tried to stand, but simply fell with my legs shaking.

 _This place…_

I felt at a loss. I'd remembered going to a shrine on New Year's without my friends. The place was abandoned, save for some rats and snakes. I had thrown some money into the offertory box (a solid 10,000 yen), and clapped my hands. I had figured that if any god would take pity on me, it would be the one of the run-down, abandoned shrine outside my hometown.

 _But this place… is unfamiliar._

True enough, while this shrine seemed to be similar to the one I had visited, it was not nearly as decrepit or poorly maintained as that one. In fact, at the very least, it seemed someone had made a life nearby – upon a second glance, it was clear that there was little dust on the stone path, and the grass was fairly well-cut… with some exceptions here and there.

 _But then, if this isn't -my- shrine…_

"Where in the world am I…?"

I checked my person – my backpack had a notebook, some pens, my laptop, and a few snacks (I was planning on resting at the shrine for a few hours), while my pockets were almost barren – save my wallet… and cellphone. As the small flicker of hope appeared, I whipped it out and started to dial… but that hope just as quickly disappeared.

 _No bars…_

I anxiously tried to call home anyway. The busy signal didn't even register – there was no beep, no voice, and no static, just the sound of cellular silence.

My heart sank to my numbed feet. I was hopelessly stuck in a strange place… I think. There was no telling when I would die, either from starvation or madness.

 _What do I do? Lie down and wait? Search for help?_

Or maybe I should just-

…Pray.

Maybe that was it…! After all, the last thing I could remember was praying at the shrine… so maybe, just maybe…

They say that true insanity is repeating the same process to expect different results… or something. So maybe, in a way, this was the most logical solution?

"I'll find out shortly."

I struggled once more to stand – this time, my legs didn't give out (they were still shaking, though). The wind rustled the grass around the area. I reached into my wallet, and pulled out… crap.

I only had seven 500 yen coins.

Maybe the gods wouldn't be picky, as long as I was donating.

Hopefully.

I tossed two of the coins into the box (I'd keep the others for bus fare), and started. Bow twice, _clap, clap,_ then a third bow, as deep as possible. I prayed as hard as I possibly could.

"Gods, if you can hear me, I wish to go home – no, I _need_ to go home."

 _Please._

And then it hit me. Across the back of my head. I don't know what "it" was, but it hurt quite a bit. I quickly looked back. There was no one there, but there was a fairly thick stick on the ground behind me, with a slight dent in the shape of my skull. I looked around for the culprit, but saw no one and nothing. After coming back to the front of the shrine, there was no sign of any stick either – just leaves and flower petals, which blew away a few seconds later. I rubbed my aching skull and wondered for a moment.

 _Maybe that was the Gods refusing me._

As I thought that, I heard a feminine voice behind me that said simply, "Oh my, a visitor?"

Turning once again, I spy not one, but two girls: one was dressed in a red-and-white miko costume, and the other seemed to be dressed like a witch, albeit with a black overcoat. I could have sworn that it was January when I passed out, not October. The one who seems to have addressed me was the miko, who shifted a paper bag in her arms.

"It's rare that we ever see guests here," the miko said.

The witch-girl nodded, and said (with a very boyish manner), "She doesn't seem to be from here, yeah?" They both looked me over, and I them. Although they were… odd, maybe they knew better than me what had happened.

Unlikely, but a chance nonetheless.

"Excuse me, but can you tell me where I am?" I asked in earnest. "I think I'm a little lost."

They looked at each other, and the witch-girl laughed. The miko turned to me and said very… indifferently, "You came to our shrine without learning its name? How rude…" She shook her head at me as the other girl continued to laugh.

"C'mon Reimu," the witch-girl said through her laughs, "you should be happy that the shrine has a human visitor for the first time in ages."

The miko seemed to mull over this, as the witch girl tried to stifle herself.

Wait… did she say "human" visitor?

"In any case," the miko started again, "this is the Hakurei Shrine. I appreciate you coming to pay your respects, but I have some business to attend to."

Hakurei… I recognize the name, but I can't recall where I heard it. As they walked by, the witch-girl put a hand on my shoulder. "Don't mind Reimu," she said. "She's a pretty nice person, for the most part." As she said this, a soft _thud_ came from the offertory box… followed by a louder _thud._

I looked over, and the miko was staring intently into the offertory box. The paper bag was on the ground, a single apple rolling into the grass.

"What's wrong, Reimu?" The witch-girl seemed genuinely confused, as she looked over at her friend.

The miko reached into the box, and pulled out the 500-yen coin that I had offered. "Is… is this your doing…?" She fumbled with her words a little, but I couldn't tell if it was from anger or shock.

"Yes," I answered honestly. The miko stared at the coin for a long moment. I felt like I had done a faux-paus by giving such a meager donation. "Sorry, it was all I had."

 _For the most part. But the gods would understand, right?_

After a while, she clutched the coin in her hand, and smiled very widely. "Thank you for your patronage," she said happily. "The Hakurei Shrine would be glad to assist you."


	2. Chapter 2

2

This is all wrong. This isn't real. I can't believe this.

Those are some of the words I wanted to say. But even those words didn't convey the feelings I felt. In fact, I was simply speechless.

This was not the Japan I knew. Rather, I was in some sort of pseudo-Japan, on the other side of some "border"; although, I'm fairly certain that the shrine was in Japan.

"No, no, not _that_ kind of border!" The miko tried to explain in ways I could understand, but I just couldn't grasp it. She kept saying something about Youkai borders and magic, but all I could think was…

 _…This girl must be crazy._

After an hour of going back and forth, we decided to calm down and rewind. She went to make some tea (packed in the bag from earlier), and the witch-girl had simply watched us argue while snacking on something strange. When the miko came back, she placed a cup in front of each of us.

The tea was a golden color, with a small tea stalk floating in the liquid – it wasn't pillared, so no luck for me. As I took the cup, I realized that my hands were shaking. I'd never had such an intense argument in my life…

…Or was it something else? Like, not "anger", but something more complex, or simple?

I went over my story once more.

I went to an abandoned shrine on January 1st, and prayed to the gods of the shrine for… something. For some reason, I couldn't remember what I had prayed for.

Some time after the wish, I fell backwards, hurting my back.

And then… the shrine was less destroyed than it was, and there were others visiting it, except in weird costumes.

I've heard of cosplayers in summer comic markets, but in the winter, too? It seemed a little off.

But then… what?

"You two calm yet?" The witch-girl smiled as she requested an update. I glanced at the miko – she seemed a little simmered, but not as aggressive as before. I nodded, then spoke up.

"So, if I'm not in Japan… where am I?"

The witch-girl looked at the miko, who was sipping her tea "calmly". I expected a sarcastic face, or a snarky answer to my (what I considered "odd") question.

 _Maybe she'll say I'm in some sort of theatre district – I hear those are becoming very popular. Or, maybe I'm just dreaming. Maybe-_

But it wasn't that simple.

It never is, is it?

"You are in a land called Gensôkyô – written as "Land of Illusions". More than likely, from your perspective, a foreign world, or maybe even a dream world." She sipped her tea, and then added, "Or at least, that's probably what Yukari would say."

 _A dream world… right?_

That would make sense, except for one major thing.

Earlier. When I got hit by the mysterious stick.

If I were dreaming, I should've waken up from that, right?

"So… not my home world… but a parallel world?" That was the only way I could comprehend it.

"More or less," the miko stated. "But how you got here, I don't understand. Normal humans shouldn't be able to see the border, let alone cross it."

The witch-girl weighed in, "Maybe Yukari's sleeping on the job?"

 _Yukari…_ That name was very common in Japanese. And the witch-girl had called the miko "Reimu" – although it definitely wasn't as common, it could honestly be a Japanese name.

My head hurt. But more than that, my mind hurt. Everything -had- to be a dream, right? This can't be real…

"Anyhows…" the witch-girl spoke up again. "If you're gonna be here for a bit, we should introduce ourselves." She stood up sharply, shaking the table, and causing the miko to glare at her, to which she ignored. "My name's Marisa. Nice to meet ya." She held out her hand. "I own a small shop in the Forest, so if you feel the need, stop by."

I shook her hand weakly. Not out of resentment or anything, but out of defeat.

 _What can I do…?_

The miko then stood up, less abruptly than her friend. "I'm sure you've heard her say it a few times now, but my name is Reimu." She also held out her hand, which I shook. "I'm the current shrine maiden of Hakurei. Anything spiritual is my forte – especially things like youkai." Before I could let go, she pulled me close, and said softly into my ear.

"This may be a lot to take in, but we'll help you as much as we can."

Hearing that made my chest hurt. I felt heavy, and my face felt warm…

It was fear after all.

How about that?


	3. Chapter 3

3

"Did you sleep okay, Sakai-san?" Reimu's voice came from outside the door. It was indifferent – much like when I first met her, it didn't seem too caring or too harsh.

"Yes," I lied. "Thank you, Hakurei-san."

 _Not like I could tell her that I was up all night._

"That's good to hear. When you're ready, I'll take you to the human village." The sound of footsteps in the snow slowly became distant.

"Okay…"

Not only could I not sleep in an unfamiliar… well, world; but this shrine seemed to have a bit of a draft.

And by "a bit", I mean that there was a hole in the partition across from my head. Whether or not she already knows, I'll save for another time.

I got up, and changed back into my street clothes (Reimu was kind enough to lend me some pajamas). As I walked outside, a pile of snow dropped in front of me – it fell from the roof with a _thud_. Surprisingly, it didn't seem like it snowed overnight – in fact, it might have been a little warmer than yesterday.

But that wasn't important.

I needed to focus – this world was an unknown world to me, where people dressed like otaku and where, apparently, humans weren't the ruling species. After all, a regular "human village" would just be called a village, or maybe even a town.

 _So what is the ruling species…?_

Well, the answer may have been right in front of me.

Next to Reimu, the miko I had met the previous day, was not the witch-girl I had also met. Rather, this was a completely different person.

"Person" being the only term in my vocabulary.

Next to Reimu instead was a woman with stunningly blonde hair, a white mob cap with a red ribbon, a purple dress with white sleeves, and piercing violet eyes. But my eyes fell on what was just below her dress – a sort of organic zipper in the space next to Reimu, with hundreds of eyes staring at me from the darkness inside it.

But Reimu didn't seem startled or scared – rather, she looked annoyed as the woman talked to her with a sly smile.

"Ara?" The woman looked in my direction – rather, _at me_. "I don't recognize this human."

 _"Ara"? What is this, the Edo period?_

"Right," Reimu responded. "This girl apparently passed here from the Outside World."

 _Wait… did she say "this human"?_

"Ah, I see." The woman's sly smile grew wider, and a cold chill ran up my spine. One phrase was all that repeated in my mind while in eye contact with her.

 _I'm going to die._

Reimu must have noticed my discomfort, because she sighed as she turned towards the shrine's steps. "Stop scaring her, Yukari," she warned. "She's been through enough already; she doesn't need a youkai sizing her up."

 _Youkai…?_ I felt like I'd heard that word somewhere before. The woman giggled, and turned back to Reimu. "My apologies. I simply wanted to investigate our new…" She glanced at me.

"…Guest."

Her body was swallowed by the space-zipper, and it zipped up with a small aftereffect not unlike small fireworks. Reimu waved me forward.

"Don't mind her, she's generally harmless," she called. "Now let's get going."

As I stepped forward, I felt a hand on my shoulder – and the chill was back.

A voice said gently to me:

"My name is Yukari Yakumo-sama, by the way. Wonderful to meet you."

I twisted around just in time to see the white mob cap from earlier fading into another zipper, that closed the same way as the last one.

The human village was very well-made – but my earlier aside about being in the Edo period may not have been far off. Everything seemed to exude a sense of history, while the people around looked almost exactly like the ones in the history books (minus the artistic rendition). Everyone seemed off-put by my presence – likely because of my modern clothes, which was a stark contrast to the varying types of kimonos and haoris around.

"Where are we going?" I asked. Reimu seemed to know where we were heading, and was moving quickly – at least, compared to me, who was struggling to keep up with my poor attire for snow. She replied, "We're going to see someone who knows a bit about events like this." She kept moving while she turned her head, and added, "I figured that she might have seen something like this in the past."

 _How old is she?_ I stifled my lips, but it seemed like a legitimate question – or, it would have, had I not considered my next question, which came to me earlier.

"So, who… or what, was that Yukari-"

My question was cut off by an older man, who seemed very panicked. He was wailing, "Hakurei-sama, the Dragon's eyes! It's eyes, they are red once again!"

Reimu suddenly stopped, and looked to the center (or at least, what I believe to be the center) of the village. Her face was much more serious than I've seen before, and she started heading in that direction.

"Sorry," she said quickly, "but something came up. I'll meet with you later, so head to Akyuu's house." She pointed to the left of the village, nearby a large flatland. "I should only be a few minutes, but Akyuu will be able to tell you something in that time."

And then, there was one.

That is to say, there was me.

I looked around – the gazes had disappeared, following the village's shrine maiden, so there were only a few people here and there. I decided to head to the building Reimu pointed towards, since it was my only real course of action.

I passed another building that seemed to be a bookstore – it had "Bunbunmaru Newspaper: Season 131 Mutsuki 4th Issue, Winter Edition! Available Tomorrow" posted on the door.

 _…Even their time scheme seems different. What in the world is "Season 131, Mutsuki"?_

I ignored it – as best as I could – and reached a rather large building. When she pointed to it earlier, the "house" that Reimu directed me to didn't seem very big. But, now that I was looking for the entrance, "house" didn't seem like the correct word – rather than that, this looked like a _mansion_!

"Who in the world is this 'Akyuu' person…?"

As I reached the entrance, a number of people caught my eyes – many of them seemed to be dressed as old-style maids, some in slightly more "specific" attire, but mostly the same for each of the twenty or thirty people. One of them approached me, and asked, "I'm sorry, but can I help you?" She had a look that gave me the feeling that she thought I was lost.

"I'm looking for someone named…"

Looking around again, although it was clearly winter everywhere else, it could've passed for early spring in this quad.

"…Akyuu-sama," I finished, remembering my manners for Lords and Ladies.

Three of the maids who had come over to back up the first exchanged looks of confusion. The front maid also looked a little confused.

Trying not to complicate things, I added: "The miko of the Hakurei Shrine directed me here for questions."


	4. Chapter 4

4

It's amazing how the size of something changes based on where you are. For example, a gnat from far away is just an annoying speck. But when you get closer and closer to it, you're able to discern much more about it, like an actual size, its color, and (in the case of other creatures) its gender.

Or, how big a house is in the distance, compared to how it is when you're inside it.

I felt a sense of insignificance as I walked through the halls of the Hieda Mansion – apparently, the Hieda Bloodline (of which Akyuu descended from) was one of the wealthiest families in the village, and more than likely, in all of Gensôkyô. In a way, it made sense, especially if they owned the fields outside of the town – the fields extended for almost a league in either direction, and even at this time of year, there seemed to be harvesting going on.

"This way, please." The head maid (the same one I was talking with earlier) showed me a door near the middle of the building. She knocked twice, and called, "Hieda-sama, you have a visitor." Without waiting for an answer, she opened the door and directed me inside.

In the center of the room was a square table with many different scrolls and papers on it, and books to either side. There were a few bookshelves filled with books as well, but otherwise, the room was sparse. There were some cushions near the table, however.

"Please sit," the maid smiled. "The young mistress will be with you shortly."

I sat down across from the "empty space" – that is, the spot where it appeared that someone had been sitting and writing. Curiously, I peered at the documents on the desk. It seemed that many of them were written in older writing, but overall, the documents seemed to be some sort of record.

"Mimi-san, did you say something?" A voice called out from an adjoining room. "I'm a little busy, so I apologize if-"

The person rounded the corner, and the voice's owner made herself known. It was definitely a young mistress – her outfit reminded me of _wa_ -lolita, and her hair was short and violet, with a pink flower adornment on it. She didn't look much older than me, to be honest.

When she noticed me, she cut her sentence short. Her eyes narrowed as she sighed.

"Well?" she asked. "You needed something? I'm quite busy, and don't have much time to finish."

My tongue twisted for a moment. "S-sorry! Hakurei-san said that you'd be able to help me." I tried to explain what I knew – that I had woken up in this world, that I didn't know how I got there… and my conversation with Reimu and the witch-girl, Marisa. Her expression during this entire explanation seemed bored, as if she had heard this story millions of times before.

After my explanation, she closed her eyes and said, "So basically, you traveled through the Hakurei Shrine Border from the Outside World, and you don't know how."

 _Wow. Way to generalize it._

"Does this happen often, Akyuu-sama?" I was genuinely concerned – if this was a common event, there was that much higher of a chance that I could go back. She gave me a sharp look, and responded, "Don't call me 'sama'. It sounds so… ugly."

 _Okay…?_

"As for the commonality of this, many people travel through the borders. Not many of them end up directly at the Hakurei Shrine, but I suppose it's not impossible." She sat down in the cluttered space across from me. "A good number of people end up as Youkai food, however. Count yourself lucky."

I know I've heard it before now. This word was common at home in occult clubs and mythology. "Youkai" – something like a spirit or a demon that attacks humans. Was that also the same in this world?

"I don't know your situation," Akyuu continued, "but there's not really an easy way to go back."

 _Huh?_

"Wait," I said, nearly choking. "I thought you said that people come from my world all of the time?"

"Yes," she answered, "but a good amount of them prefer this world, so they end up taking residence in this village." She started writing on a paper in front of her, and continued: "The only ways that you could get back right now is if you -a-, find out how you got here and reverse the process, or -b-, somehow find Yukari-san, and ask her nicely to send you across."

"Wait, Yukari?" Wasn't that the woman with the space-zippers?

"Oh, you've met her?" Akyuu looked up, but continued writing. "She's known as the Gap Youkai, and she watches and controls the boundaries of Gensôkyô. Along with some other powerful youkai, she's the reason that our worlds are separate." She looked back at her papers, making a difficult face. "But, like I said, it's unlikely that you'll find her."

"Why… is that?"

She looked up again, this time stopping her writing hand. "Because she doesn't usually stay in one place for too long." She stretched her arms, and continued: "Yukari Yakumo-san does not 'exist' in the same way that humans, or even most youkai, exist. In short, she stays in those zippers until she wants to do something." She looked at me with a very heavy look. "So, unless you have a surefire way to find her, which I doubt you do, your best bet is to recreate the circumstances that brought you here."

 _Easier said than done._ I hardly remember when I came here, let alone how. My memories seemed spaced, like there were gaps in it. Between when I got to the shrine and when I woke up. Between leaving my house and going to the shrine. Even the wish I made at the shrine was forgotten; but why? Why were those memories the ones that I forgot? Maybe just before waking up here, sure, but everything else?

I felt at a loss. If I couldn't find Yukari, my only other solution was to "recreate the circumstances", which wasn't something that I could do…

 _So, is that it? Am I stuck here… like the rest of those humans…?_

Maybe it was time to settle down. I hear that other worlds are a great place to retire… right before college.

 _College…_ Now that would have been fun to do.

"Ow…"

 _Huh…? Was there something about college?_

"Are you okay?" Akyuu's voice was calling to me, but for some reason, she wasn't there anymore. That is, in front of me – rather, the whole room had become a messy spiral of colors.

"College…"

For some reason, that word stuck out in my mind. But it hurt when I thought about it – not like a headache, but like something was stabbing directly into my forehead.

"Whoa!" I felt something on my shoulder, then something on my face. "You're bleeding! What's wrong?"

And then, silence.


	5. Chapter 5

5

Another odd waking – a futon that I didn't recognize, a ceiling with high-class décor, and a scent that made my mouth water. This time, my legs weren't numb – rather, my head felt like someone had taken a jackhammer to it. I raised my hand to my head.

 _Blood…?_

There was a little bit dried on my face, below my nose. Was that what the voice was talking about?

"Oh, you're awake!" A familiar, young voice said from the other side of the room. Akyuu and Reimu were both here, and another person I didn't recognize – a man with silver hair and a blue-and-white kimono, wearing square glasses. In his hands, he held a small jar with a bluish liquid inside.

"Goodness, don't worry us like that." Reimu came closer to me, sitting next to me. "I was seriously worried that you wouldn't wake up."

 _…Why? We've only known each other for around 18 hours._

"Akyuu told me everything you two discussed so far," she said. She put her palm to my forehead. "While it doesn't seem like you'll be leaving soon, I promised I'd help as much as possible, so feel free to rest for a bit."

I couldn't form words. It must've been an aneurism, or something equally damaging, so I simply nodded. The man came closer, opening the jar. "It wouldn't help to continue if you're in pain," he said. "If anything hurts, let me know." I looked at Reimu with a "who's he?" look. She understood, and said, "That's Rinnosuke Morichika. He's the owner of that store outside of the forest, Kourindou."

Rinnosuke bowed and said, "My apologies for the late introduction. Not to worry you, but I should let you know that I'm half Youkai."

I felt another chill run up my spine as Reimu and Akyuu simultaneously glared at him. He quickly corrected himself: "Sorry – I'm no one to be afraid of; rather, I only eat human food! I promise I won't harm you." He waved his hands at the thought; seeing his awkwardness helped me calm down.

 _Everyone around here seems pretty nice…_

I tried to respond with my name, but ended up with a catch in my throat. As I coughed, Reimu put her hand on my back.

"You okay? Don't push yourself." Reimu gently patted my back, as Rinnosuke put a small wooden spoon into the jar. "Here," he said, offering the spoon to me, "this may help a bit."

I swallowed the dose without much thought.

 _Good God, this is disgusting!_ I immediately started coughing again. "It tastes like straight tree sap!" I sputtered, trying to stop my violent coughs.

 _Well, at least I can talk again…_

After about a minute, I tried again.

"My name is Kushoko Sakai. Sorry about that."

Rinnosuke smiled. "No problem," he said. "As long as you're okay."

I nodded. Whatever that stuff was, it helped – not only was my throat no longer bothering me, but my head hurt much less. That stuff must be this world's miracle elixir or something.

"So… What's your plan?" Akyuu seemed to be referring to the issue at hand. True enough, I needed a plan – although, honestly, I had no clue what to do. Supposing that repeating the circumstances would actually work, it may be hard to find 10,000 yen to offer to the shrine again. Worse than that, I did already try offering (an amount) to the shrine, but all it offered was a strike to my skull.

Maybe it had to do with what I wished for the first time…

"For now," she continued, "you should try to remember everything before you woke up at the Hakurei Shrine." She folded her arms. "I can think of a few friends that may know Yukari-san, so I'll ask them to keep an eye out for her."

Question.

"Couldn't we just call Yukari here? If she knew my situation-" I was cut off by Reimu, whose hand rose to my face.

"No," she said. "The answer to that is no. Yukari doesn't really care about humans, so it's highly unlikely that she'll take an interest in your problems." The other two nodded. "The only way to get Yukari involved is to make her owe you – and that's a problem in itself."

I sighed. It doesn't seem like there's any easy ways here.

"In the worst case…" Akyuu started a sentence. I looked at her with hope. _Maybe there's a secret spell or something?_

"In the worst case, you could always take up residence."

She said the words not with defeat, nor with anger. They were simply what she said – a solution to the worst-case scenario.

...Well, it's not as if it hadn't crossed my mind, but there were some problems with that thought – mainly, my areas of study didn't seem very practical in this world. Music and science were two of the things that I hadn't seen much of since I had arrived (granted, I had been in Gensôkyô for less than a day, but still), and honestly, there didn't seem to be much interest in the latter, what with the state of this village.

"If it's possible, I want to return home… So I'll try whatever I can before I do that." I had made my statement, and the three others made separate faces of joyful consignation.

"'Try whatever you can', huh?" Rinnosuke smiled, and closed the jar of medicine.

"What?"

"Nothing," he said. "I think it's wonderful to resolve yourself so quickly." He glanced at Reimu, who had stood up and walked towards the door. "Unlike a certain shrine maiden."

"I heard that," Reimu called. Akyuu and I laughed lightly at their brief exchange.

It felt good to laugh. It had been a good while since I could laugh.

All of this negativity may have been getting to me; but I now had resolve – something that I had lacked for many years.

"In any case," Reimu said defiantly, "It would be good of you to rest a bit before we do anything else. So for the rest of the day, try to rest here." She glanced at Akyuu. "That's okay, right?"

Akyuu nodded. "As long as I can finish my work, I don't really care."

So it was settled. I would rest in the Hieda Manor for the rest of the… day…

"Wait, what is today's date?" I had completely forgotten, but it may not be the same day I thought it was… But then, the only date I remember was the one from the flyer. _Mutsuki, 4_ _th_ _Issue…_ in other words, that newspaper would come out on the fourth of… "Mutsuki".

Meaning that the last day I was awake was the third.

"Today is the third," Reimu answered with a confused look.

 _Phew. I wasn't out for very long, then._

"Reimu-san, it's not that weird," Akyuu cleared her throat. "After all, being unconscious for a day can make one lose their sense of time. You would know that, right?"

… _Wait, what?_

 _A day…? Wasn't today the third?_

"Uh," I quietly intervened, "I'm sorry, it may just be my general state, or even my hearing… I'm not the best listener after all. But, you said today was the third, right?"

Reimu nodded.

"And… I've been asleep for how long?"

Akyuu held up one finger. "One day. 24 hours, give or take," she said casually.

Nope, I hadn't misheard them. Rather, there was something that I didn't understand about this timeframe.

"So, if it's been 24 hours, and I went unconscious on the third, then-"

Akyuu put up her hand. "I see that you're confused about the wrong things," she said. "It's true that today is the third, and you passed out yesterday. However, according to Reimu-san, you arrived at her shrine on the first."

Oh.

"Which means that the next day, the second, you were wandering in town, and came to see me. And, on the second, you passed out." She waved her hand side to side. "I have no idea where you got the idea where yesterday was the third, but whoever told it to you was wrong."

 _Oh…_

I stuttered, "I… I saw it on a flyer… near the bookstore…" The three looked genuinely confused for a moment, and then Rinnosuke exclaimed, "AH! You must be referring to the Bunbunmaru flyer!" A collective "Oh…" filled the room.

"Those newspapers come out on a whim – that's why it says Fourth Issue, not Fourth Day," Akyuu explained.

 _That makes… a little more sense… I guess._

It still seemed a little strange, but I could understand it – maybe limited reporters for a single paper meant that more issues would be produced. And in a world where Youkai exist, there were probably strange events happening every few minutes.

After a bit more talking, Reimu and Rinnosuke went to their respective homes; Akyuu went back to her writing, leaving me to rest. For the first time in what felt like forever, I slept deep and comfy. I even had a dream – something that hadn't happened since the third grade.

I was walking down a road full of flowers. There were happy people on either side of the road, chatting and laughing together. Soon after I got off of the road, a dog appeared. I followed it to a shrine, on the border of town, where some people were waiting for me. I recognized most of their faces: they were classmates whom I had befriended at the beginning of high school.

But one person in particular seemed different – I didn't recognize her. Her hair was long and black, with the left side wrapped around some sticks. She was tall, and had very strange clothes… and when I approached her, she told me to wake up.

…And that was the end. I woke up immediately after that, with a strange sense of panic.

I guess that's more of a nightmare.

But the most worrying thing about that dream wasn't that woman; rather, it was my friends. Their faces were blank. But what worried me the most was this…

"Why can't I remember their names…?"


	6. Chapter 6

6

I don't recall being exceptionally evil – sure, maybe a few punches or kicks here and there, and maybe making promises to pay back money I knew I never would. But never anything big, like stealing or murder.

In fact, I had never touched a knife in my life, and I was against drugs and violence in high school.

I was an honor student, too. I had been class rep since my first year, and even tried my hardest in school. All A's, except for last year, in English.

I even remember making some great friends.

"What does this have to do with this story?" you may ask.

Well, simply put, I can't remember anything about my friends. Or my family. And I don't understand why.

I told Akyuu this when I woke up – about my forgetting their faces, names and appearances. She barely pondered before simply stating, "Could it be that you never had them to begin with?"

Upon saying it, she corrected herself; "Specifically, your friends. A simple case of amnesia would explain the reason that you can't remember your family, but if you also can't remember any of your friends…" She paused, curling her lip. "…Well, I suppose it's possible that they never existed, and your mind is playing tricks on you."

It sounded reasonable… but it was wrong. That seemed too convenient of an excuse – it was something I couldn't adequately explain.

"But… I know that they did. I just know it."

Akyuu looked at me with a sarcastic face. "How do you know?"

"I just do," I said strongly. I looked into her eyes, and she into mine.

We glared at each other for a good minute before she finally sighed. "Whatever you say," she said.

I left the Hieda Manor an hour later, when Rinnosuke came by to check up on me. He just did a bit of basic examinations, and then left, suggesting that I begin to do the same.

But what now…?

With no leads, no real path to follow, and no money, I was back to square one – if you could call any of what happened "square two". Supposing Akyuu was right (and honestly, I had no reason to suspect that she wasn't), I needed money.

A LOT of money.

First thing's first, finding a job. Maybe if there was a job relating to Yukari Yakumo, I'd be able to find her easily.

…So, a job dealing with Youkai.

Well, obvious issues aside, I searched the village for any -other- jobs – after all, every little bit helps. It was already late evening, meaning my third full day in Gensôkyô was coming to an end. Looking for a job this late would be difficult, even if the world was stuck in the Edo period. Maybe there was something I could do for Yukari directly…

I shook my head at the thought. Youkai are well-known for eating humans – even in this world, I doubt that humans and demons get along so comfortably. An indirect job would be better. Better, and much safer, than dealing directly with her.

Looking around the immediate area, there didn't seem to be much promise: a tofu shop was closing its doors for the day; the nearby buildings were starting to grow dark; and the bookstore… well, actually, its light was still on.

 _Every little bit helps._

I dashed over to the store, in the hopes of finding information, and possibly a job.

The door was closed, but the sign still said "Open". I knocked loudly, and called, "Excuse me, is there anyone here? I'm looking for a job!"

There was the sound of shuffling, but the door remained closed. I tried once more.

"Please! I need help getting home, and this is the only way!"

After a long moment, a woman with reddish-brown hair came to the door. "This is the only way to get home?" she asked.

 _Technically, yes… if I disregard the fact that Yukari may or may not be nearby._

"It's a bit of a complex situation," I said, "but the short answer is, yes."

The woman looked at me, marginally confused. After a minute, she smiled. "Well, I suppose we could use some help around here."

 _First try, home run!_

"However," she continued, "I'm afraid that we're actually all done for today."

 _…Foul ball._

"If you'd like, you can start tomorrow morning. How does 7 in the morning sound?"

I smiled brightly and nodded. "That sounds great!"

The woman smiled, and gave me her name – Mikoto Mootori – after which she bid me farewell.

A journey of a thousand miles, as they say.

Maybe it would be possible to sleep at Reimu's shrine again. The evening was slowly becoming the night, and I began to hurriedly head in the shrine's direction.

I think that Reimu had called it the "Forest of Magic" – although, it really just seemed like an overgrown forest to me. Maybe there was something I was missing.

Or maybe, I was just stupid.

That's always a possibility. In fact, I don't doubt it.

A voice echoed in my mind as I contemplated this.

 ** _Isn't that why you're here now?_**

It genuinely scared me, to hear a voice that I didn't recognize talking in my head. I looked around, but no one was there – the only sounds were the rustling trees and the crunching snow beneath…

…That's not me.

I became more and more frantic, looking for the source of the noises. Finally, after what felt like hours, I saw a shape coming closer from the shrine's direction. It was a little taller than me, and it seemed to be carrying something. It stopped around 30 feet away, and just stood there.

 ** _Wake up_** , the voice echoed. **_Wake up._**

Never in my life had I run so fast. I ran away from the forest, into the nearest building I could find. Without thinking to knock, and without looking inside, I ran inside and slammed the door closed.

"Are you okay?" a male voice called out behind me. I whipped around to see Rinnosuke, tidying up what appeared to be… computers?

"What are you doing here?" I asked, still scared.

He smiled weakly. "I should be asking you that," he chuckled. "This is Kourindou – my store. Remember?"

 _Oh, yeah. That -was- on the border of the Forest, wasn't it?_

My mind calmed down a bit as I noticed everything in the shop – it wasn't just computers that were out of place. Rather, this entire shop seemed to be filled with gadgets and devices from my world – from handheld games to an iPod. Then I noticed a young girl sitting in the corner.

"Uh, who's that?" I pointed to the girl. "Is she your sister, or something?"

Although, to be honest, they didn't look too much alike. Rather, they had little to no similarities – his hair was white, while hers was bluish; he was dressed more Japanese, while she, European. If anything, the statement was too put me at ease.

"Um…" he looked a little worried, as he stopped his work. The girl smiled widely, and I immediately realized the gravity of my mistake. Another difference they had – Rinnosuke had fairly human teeth.

This girl had fangs. Like a snake. Like a wolf.

…Like a Vampire.


	7. Chapter 7

7

Yukari seemed to be a pacifist of sorts – even though she's a Youkai, it doesn't seem like she harms humans. In fact, she seems to be friends with many of them, like Reimu and Akyuu.

But Vampires are different.

Vampires are known to feast on humans. In some tales, it's simply sucking their blood – in others, it can be eating them bone and all.

… A terrifying revelation. Although I haven't run into many Youkai, I recall talking to Akyuu about them, if not for a short moment. She said that people end up as "youkai food".

Then there was the incident where Reimu said Yukari was "sizing me up". That term I had only heard in relation to food… although there was the innate possibility that it was simply an idiom.

But both points connected very cleanly.

Youkai eat humans.

Vampires can be considered a kind of Youkai.

And I'm a human (at least, last time I checked).

"Calm thyself, Human," a young female voice calmly spoke. "I have no reason to hurt you, if that's what you fret about."

I breathed a bit. At least she can tell.

"I'm simply here visiting an acquaintance."

Rinnosuke scoffed. "We hardly know each other," he muttered.

The vampire shot a quick glare at him, then returned her calm gaze to me. "So, for what reason were you so panicked?"

 _Oh, right._

"Morichika-san, there was something strange in the forest!" I stammered. I gave him a basic description of what I saw (and heard) as the two looked at each other with varied expressions. They seemed not to be concerned.

Of course… this was -their- world. Things like this could be common.

"Well…" Rinnosuke started. "I haven't seen many Youkai with such a vague description. It could have been Rumia, but she's definitely not that tall."

The vampire chuckled, and stated, "It was probably just a human coming from the Shrine Maiden, or even from her friend's shop."

As she said this, there was a knock on the door.

"Pardon me." Rinnosuke stopped his cleanup, and went to answer the door. As he did, the vampire added, "What is seen in shadows can easily be mistaken for your greatest fears." After saying that, she paused, and glanced at me… like she was expecting something.

"Um… that was… deep?" I guessed.

She smiled. I had guessed right… probably? Rinnosuke opened the door, and started to refuse the new guest.

"Oh, it's you." He corrected. I looked over, and saw someone shadowed by the moonless night – the same figure I saw before. "Please excuse me," another female voice said. "Remilia-sama, it's time for us to go back."

The vampire stood up, and tapped my shoulder as she passed. "No need to fear – that's my servant," she said. "She won't hurt you." She then smiled, and added, "Maybe it's fate."

 _What?_

The two left without another word, and Rinnosuke went back to cleaning after closing the door behind them.

 _…So the vampire is a fatalist?_

For some reason, that seemed extremely odd… but I wasn't going to question it. After all, she didn't try to suck my blood, so I should at least try to show her some respect.

"Can I ask who that was?" I requested of Rinnosuke. He gave me a cynical look. I didn't understand why… until I actually thought about it.

All of the stores had already closed, and I kind of just barged into his shop / home before he could close up.

"Let me apologize first."

I bowed deeply to show my respect, but he waved away the gesture. "It's all right," he said, with a very notable tinge of pessimism. "Unlike -some- people, at least you have a reason." He sat down where the vampire had been. "That girl was Remilia Scarlet," he said. "She's what you would probably know as a vampire."

At least that term was shared around here.

"I don't know much about her, but recently she's been stopping by for one reason or another." He crossed his arms and sighed. "But she never buys anything."

That's a shop owner for you – always thinking of business first. After a bit of back-and-forth, I learned that she apparently owned a mansion a good distance to the northwest of the village. I also learned of her servant (whom was named Sakuya), and a nearby lake that they frequented.

Although nice, it was nothing that could help me.

After a while, Rinnosuke stated, "Now, if you don't mind, I think it's my turn to ask a question or two."

I nodded.

"Why did you come here? Wouldn't running to the Shrine make more sense if you were fearing a Youkai?"

He wasn't wrong. In most cases, when someone suspects something evil is following them, one would try and go to a place that naturally wards evil.

On the other hand, Yukari.

"I was panicked," I muttered. Rinnosuke just sighed as he stood up.

"Well, whatever the case, you should head h-" He caught himself, and coughed. "-to the Hakurei Shrine," he corrected.

 _I would love to, but I'd rather not run into another situation like that._

"Would it be possible to stay here?" He looked at me with genuine concern. I sighed, and answered my own question, "Never mind."

I once again found myself in the crippling darkness, this time with only the moon's light as my guide. Once again, the snow crunched beneath my feet. Once again, I was alone.

But this time, there was no voice, no secondary footsteps… I was truly alone.

 _Maybe it would be less terrifying if I sing a song…_

Yeah, right.

I tightened my scarf and ran into the woods, focusing directly on the direction of the Hakurei Shrine. I didn't want to risk running into a Youkai that ate humans, so the faster the better.

After around thirty minutes, I reached the shrine, where the lights were already out. Not surprising – based on how long it had been since I had seen the sun set, it was likely around midnight. I walked to the area that had been "my temporary room" – maybe Reimu-sama would be willing to let me stay there until everything was done.

As I opened the door and de-winterized, something in the corner of the room caught my eye.

Something that wasn't there before. Some _one_ that wasn't there before.

A woman with long and black hair; the left side of her hair was tied around two sticks. She was much taller than me, and wore strange, but familiar, clothes…

And when she turned to me, her white eyes made me freeze from my feet to my head.

And her voice, which was horrifyingly similar to mine, told me one thing.

" ** _It's time to Wake Up._** "


	8. Chapter 8

8

"A youkai that can talk in other peoples' voices?"

Reimu looked at me confused when I brought the question to her the next morning.

I nodded to her response. "Or one that can see dreams?" I asked.

The previous night, the woman told me to wake up, then disappeared without a trace. I was so scared that I couldn't even scream. I spent the entire night in the opposite corner of the room watching for anything (or anyone) coming near me.

Before I knew it, the sun had risen, and Reimu was tapping on the door.

Reimu pondered for a moment. She then answered, "While there aren't any that I know of that can talk in one's own voice, there are a few that know how to go into people's dreams."

She pointed towards the front of the shrine. "You've already met the most common culprit."

It took me a minute to realize that she meant Yukari Yakumo… although, in retrospect, she was the only Youkai that I'd been formally introduced to.

"Well, what about one that can change forms?" I was genuinely worried that a random Youkai was out to get me.

"Bakeneko and Tanuki," she said with no hesitation. "I suppose a many-tailed fox would be able to, as well." She paused, and added, "For the majority of your questions, the answer would most likely be a Bakeneko."

I had heard the term bakeneko before, when I was younger. I think it was a spirit-cat that ate dreams. But that was literally all I knew about it.

"Is that why you look so restless?"

It was painfully obvious. I felt like my eyes would fall out of my head at any moment, and my chest felt gross and heavy.

After talking with Reimu for a bit, though, I didn't feel so scared. With the way she was speaking, it seemed like some youkai was just playing pranks on me (albeit, very harsh ones).

I even remembered the stick from when I first arrived… Maybe it was whatever had hit me then.

With all of these bits of information, I felt better… but I still didn't feel safe.

Something felt bad.

Sinister…

…Deadly.

By the time I was feeling well enough to leave the shrine, it was already well past 7 am – in short, I was late for my first day of work.

Not that it was totally my fault…

Enough making excuses, I told myself. I needed to start taking responsibility for my own actions; and the first step was going into work, late or not.

… Well, actually… the first step was setting foot into that creepy forest again.

Which was not something I was going to enjoy.

Rip it off like a bandage.

In similar fashion to the last time I passed through, I ran as fast as I could straight to the human village. It took much less time than the last (being downhill and all), so I managed to arrive before 8. When I arrived at the bookstore, the door and sign told would-be customers "Closed".

I knocked on the door, but there was no response. Not even the scuffle of feet.

I tried the handle… and surprisingly, it was unlocked.

"Excuse me," I called into the building. It was dimly lit inside the bookstore, and smelled musky. On the service counter lie a girl with light reddish hair, and drool coming from her mouth. There were various books and scrolls surrounding her, similar to Akyuu's table (although these books seemed much older and greyer in color than Akyuu's).

"Excuse me," I repeated, a little louder this time. The girl stirred, but still didn't wake up. I moved a little closer.

"EXCUSE-" I was cut off by a familiar voice shouting from the back room. It sounded a lot like Motoori-san.

"MISUZU! Are you sleeping at the counter again?!"

The girl (most likely the "Misuzu" in question) snapped awake, stuttering back, "No, Ma'am!"

And when she did, all the manuscripts around her flew across the floor.

A collective "Ah-" filled the room as the dust – and documents – settled. The girl looked at the mess with a look of stupefaction while slowly collecting the books and papers.

Without a word, I helped her – although it wasn't necessarily my fault, I couldn't help but feel like I could've kept her awake if I were here on time.

After we put everything back where it belonged, the girl thanked me.

"I shouldn't be forcing a customer to help me clean up my own messes," she said, chuckling nervously.

I shook my head. "No, it's fine. I should've been here sooner anyway." Upon a closer look, this girl looked a little bit like Motoori-san…

Albeit much less astute.

The girl looked me over with squinted eyes past thick-rimmed, circular glasses – almost as soon as my thought had passed.

Did she hear that?

After a moment, her face became full of realization.

"Oh! You must be the part-timer that Mom hired!" She smiled while tapping her closed fist into her opposite palm. "It's nice to meet you!"

She extended her hand. "My name is Kosuzu, and I basically run this shop here!" A voice chimed in from the back room, "When she's not sleeping!" Her face turned bright red as she shouted back tiredly, "Mom!"

I met her hand and shook. "Kushoko Sakai. It's nice to meet you, too." Her energy was on-par with the witch girl – Marisa – but it seemed like, rather than just energy, she had the reactions to go with it.

We finished cleaning up the toppled documents, and Kosuzu showed me the ropes of working at the Suzunaan – which amounted to dusting shelves, stocking books, and calculating change, which wasn't nearly as hard as it seemed… Had it not been for my extreme lack of sleep.

By the end of the workday (Mikoto let me leave at two – in retrospect, not too dissimilar from a part-time job, with the added benefit of a low-stress environment), I was afraid that I would pass out. There were relatively few people in the store while I was there, and the few that did buy something were checked out by Kosuzu. As I prepared to leave for the day, something else caught my eye.

Something moving near the back of the store – maybe due to my fatigue, or maybe because I hadn't really looked back there, but something definitely moving. Kosuzu walked past it many times, but seemed unfettered by the rustling behind her.

A pile of books bound by twine, with more books stacked on top, occasionally shuddered with the life of a wild rodent.

My mouth opened to ask about them, then quickly closed as I remembered the youkai that spoke to me with my voice.

I've had quite enough of the weird and supernatural.

Instead, I uttered a quick "thank you" and "goodbye" to Kosuzu, to which she smiled and replied, "See you soon!"

Without a second glance, I was out the door.

Once again, as I wandered the streets of the Human Village, I felt eyes watching my every move. It was as if they were waiting for me to burst out of my human shape, revealing myself as the youkai I was.

Not that I could blame them.

It was eerily silent as I neared the edge of the village – in part to the hushed whispers behind me, and in part due to the figure approaching the village. For a moment, I was ready to dash in the opposite direction.

But as it got closer, the single mass became clothes, a thick coat, and… a pointed hat.

"Marisa..?" I called hesitantly.

The top of the mass met my eyes – it was no doubt Marisa, but unlike the last time I saw her, she was covered in heavy winter gear. The only thing showing through her black-and-white themed getup was the upper part of her face.

"Heyo!" she muffled back, loosening her scarf to just below her mouth. She breathed in sharply, gritting her teeth as the cold air rushed to replace her scarf. "Sakai-chan, right?" She smiled tentatively.

"Yes," I responded, and then immediately thought, I totally just called her by Marisa, didn't I?

A faux-pas I had never before committed, at least that I could remember.

"What're you doing in the Human Village?" She glanced behind me, then around us. "Reimu's not dragging you around everywhere, is she?" Her face grew a smarmy smirk.

"No, nothing like that," I responded. I explained in brief about my discussion with Akyuu, and my need for some cash. As I finished speaking, her face became pensive, studying mine with quick but thorough glances.

"Well, then maybe you can help me with something."


End file.
